Madness
by DragonPaw Productions
Summary: A plague has been unleashed upon the Pokemon world, a disease that turns Pokemon into wild, mad beings with only the intent to kill. The Champions of the world are investigating. Both slash and straight pairings.
1. Chapter 1

I'm probably going to ruin some of these characters. And the canon plot. And the settings. Possibly your sanity.

I don't give a damn.

In the dim light of the morning frost - that frigid time between the moon setting and the sun rising - Lance couldn't make out heads nor tails of any object in the room. So he lay flat on his back, wide awake, watching the only thing he could see: the rise and fall of the blankets beside him; the dips and curves that outlined the tiny package that contained his entire life. Well, tiny to him. Tiny when compared to his own muscular frame, or the dragons he trained. Tiny, but not delicate.

_Definitely not delicate_, he thought to himself, smiling as he did so. He recalled the night prior. It moved by in a blur in his mind; passionate kisses, roaming hands, and finally the thrusts of lovemaking. He wished he could remember it more clearly, but that's the way it was with him. The good ones he could remember, but the great ones slipped out of his mind like fleet-footed Rattata.

Cynthia sighed in her sleep. Lance's smile grew. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling himself close and encompassing as much of her body as he could. He buried his face in her thick locks of hair and took a deep breath.

"How did you know I was awake?" Cynthia eventually muttered, though it sounded loud in the quiet around them.

"Call it a lover's intuition," Lance responded.

"I don't know if I'd call us lovers."

He chuckled. "We made love, didn't we? Therefore we are lovers."

She huffed. "Sex, not love."

"Oh?" Lance lifted his head and looked down, down into her eyes. He seemed to be searching for a moment, and this put Cynthia on edge. She rolled herself so she was on her back instead of her side, looking up at him expectantly. Then he softened his gaze, bent down, and kissed her.

"I seem to recall it differently," Lance began, breaking the kiss.

"Mmm," was all Cynthia managed to respond with before she pulled him back down. At first she was content to explore the outside of his lips, the rediscover the energy his touch sent through her body - but then she wanted more. She became ravenous, and he was all too eager to oblige.

"Now that I think about it, it was very similar to this," Lance said between kisses. He positioned himself so he was laying over her, though still supporting his own weight however he could. Delicate or not, no one liked being squooshed.

_Arceus, do you have to make a point of it all?_ Cynthia thought, though she didn't have the energy to say it out loud. In fact, the thought itself was lost as a large, strong hand began to make its way down to the small of her back, where it traced light circles and caused her hair to stand on end. The hand moved down to cup one of her cheeks, then slid even further until it was hooking one of her legs over Lance's back.

"A _lot_ like this," he whispered to her, running his lips across her jaw and down her neck. A sudden rush of memories and emotions can rushing back to the Sinnoh Champion, all from earlier in the night, and she couldn't help herself. She moaned, arching her back into him.

Lance smirked against her flesh. "Don't be so impatient," he said to her, running his fingers through her hair. Her breath remained steady, but he could hear it becoming heavier. She needed more.

It was almost funny to think about, he realized, as he trailed a line of soft kisses down to her breasts. He had already ravished her body mere hours ago. How could it remain so pure and uncharted to him? How could he hesitate to take her nipples in his mouth? How could he fear tainting her, when the deed had already been done?

How could he find himself erect at the mere sound of a stifled moan?

_You won't be able to stay so quiet for long_, Lance thought to himself. His tongue began to play with each of her breasts, taking turns between the two, driving her up the wall with his touch. She squirmed slightly beneath him, but it was only from not having been handled in such a way often before. Soft sounds began to protrude from her mouth, and he found himself doing whatever he could to make her sing.

He relished in her body and the sounds it made, and she relished in his touch and the places it took her. His hands were strong and soft against her skin, shifting across areas she herself had been afraid to explore. They found their way to the stronghold between her legs, and she was all to willing to let them in.

Cynthia moaned, loud and deep, as he trailed a path across her clitoris. Her hips thrust into his movements, separate of her own mind clouded with lust. Lance moved his kisses down to meet his hands. Together they sent Cynthia through the clouds as they explored, pierced, and massaged every facet of her womanhood. The resulting chorus drove Lance to the edge, and when she began to run her hands through his hair he went absolutely insane.

He broke with her clitoris, cutting the stimulation just as she was ready to orgasm. Cynthia whimpered between heavy, labored breathing, as if to beg him to continue. He merely smiled and continued to kiss her on the lips, being just as penetrating and unforgiving with her mouth as he had been with her vagina. She was getting annoyed and began to wonder when, if at all, she would get to cum, when she found herself rocking her head backwards, breaking with Lance's passionate kiss, and moving her hips to great his manhood. It consumed her, filling her entire being and chasing out the most erotic, maddening moan she herself had ever heard.

He rocked against her with gentle thrusts, placing sweet pecks along her neck every now and again. They moaned together, each responding to the other without skipping a beat. His hips increased their pace, and Cynthia's moved to compliment him. The tension built between them. The air thickened. Their movements became quick and impulsive, now completely driven by the passion building in their groins. It begged - no, it demanded to be released into their bodies, to flood their veins and set their nerves on fire. Together they worked into each other, kissing and touching, roaming and caressing, and thrusting hard and fast to break the prison walls.

Together they reached orgasm.

She cried out as he placed that one last thrust, the one that unleashed a beast of pleasure on the two of them. He groaned and pressed into her hair, whispering her name as hot semen poured from his tip. It pushed into her uterus, sending waves of warm energy that lengthened the pleasure of her orgasm. He remained there, incased in her being, breathing in short, heavy breaths, completely in tandem with the woman wrapped up in his arms below.

The semen cooled in time, lulling Cynthia into a drowse. "This is what makes us lovers," Lance whispered as the moment faded, as the lust slowly fell from his mind and the beast left him. She smiled, nuzzling her face against his. _Lovers_, she thought. As he removed himself from her sheath, he bumped against her clitoris, sending one last spark of pleasure to her mind. _I could get used to it_, she decided, sighing as he curled around her; as she curled around him.

A bit of light streamed into the room now, the soft light of the rising sun hidden by a forest of trees. They laid there together, each covered by the other, watching the sun rise with sleepy eyes and warm smiles. Minutes became an hour, and by then sun had fully risen into the cool, damp air of autumn.

Lance brushed a thumb across her face, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. Cynthia stirred beneath his touch, but she did not open her eyes.

"Cynthia," he began, brushing once more. "Cynthia, it's time to go."

Cynthia shook her head, burying her face deeper into his neck. She said something, but the words were lost against his skin.

"What was that?"

"No, the night can't end," she repeated, moving her head just enough to be heard. "It'll never be over."

Lance frowned. She spoke out of despair, not love. He knew why, but he didn't know what to say. All he could do was tighten his grip around her, holding her as close as possible and offering kind words as she sobbed.

Reggie woke at 5 am sharp, as he did every day (even the weekends). He stumbled down the stairs and put a pair of Pop Tarts in the toaster. He didn't have much time to eat this morning, given the occupant dropped off two days ago. It required full time attention, from dawn until dusk. He was lucky that he had Zero around to take care of the other Pokemon, or he'd be begging Nurse Joy to send a few Blissey down. They had better things to do with the emergency care Pokemon down at the PokeCenter.

He finished slipping on his boots and jacket just as the toaster popped out his breakfast. He made a mental note to grab them, but promptly forgot about them as he grabbed his medicine box and went out the back door, past the main barn, and into the solitary confinement of the yard.

The walk across the yard was a long and grievous one. The Pokemon left out here, a Togekiss that had been trained by the Champion of Sinnoh herself, had been suffering from a type of madness that couldn't be cured with medicine alone. Cynthia had done all she could, working with Togekiss day in and day out for an entire month before it got so bad she sought out Reggie help.

The initial outlook had been grim. Lance was with Cynthia at the time - he distinctly remembered thinking that the rumors of the two dating were true after all - and he had spoken to Lance while Cynthia worked with Zero to set Togekiss up to stay at the daycare.

"Look, I've seen this before," Lance had said, cutting Reggie off before he could even open his mouth. "I know Togekiss won't make it."

Reggie saw it then, right there in Lance's eyes. He saw the pain, the horror, and the absolute despair that marked the death of a beloved one. He knew Lance had gone through this, the madness that sought - and killed - a Pokemon in the worst possible way. He knew he didn't have to beat around the bush.

"If…how long do you want me to wait until I end it?" Reggie asked.

"Give it day or two. Don't let it be too sudden for her. But if it gets too bad, if it become a danger to any other Pokemon here…" Lance sighed, bringing his hands to his eyes and rubbing them dry. "And please, when we do come back, don't let her know how bad Togekiss got. It'll tear her apart."

Reggie nodded. "Of course. I'll do what I can to make its final days as comfortable as possible."

Now he stopped outside a shed, a small building holding a singular, metal-encapsulated pen that confined the Togekiss. When he opened the doors he winced, hearing the Togekiss slam itself into the sides. It had started the rage, the final stage of the madness, only a few hours after Cynthia left it in his care. He was glad Cynthia didn't have to see it like this.

Light hit the Togekiss from the door, causing it to snarl and launch itself backwards, back into the fraction of an area that still remained in the dark. Blood streamed down from its broken nose, broken from countless battering against the steel. He'd do what he could to fix it today.

Reggie set the medicine box down on the short table beside the door. He then looked over to Zero, who was just stirring from his sleep on the floor of the shed.

"Go inside and get some rest," he said to the white-haired man, kicking his boots playfully. "Arceus knows, you need it."

Zero huffed at him, but otherwise didn't say anything until he stood and stretched. "Been quiet all night, until you came in."

"Yeah, I figured." Reggie didn't look at Zero. He stared at the Togekiss, huddling in the corner, looking like a mixture of pissed off and demented.

Zero glanced between Reggie and the Togekiss. He himself hardly had any attachment to the Togekiss, but he could understand what horror he would feel if it were his Magnezone was in there instead. Reggie was probably thinking of one of his own Pokemon, too. So Zero reached out and touched Reggie's arm, hoping the breeder would turn to face him. He didn't. Zero let go and left.

Reggie went to work shortly after. He got the Togekiss to attack a two-by-four chunk of wood, then quickly injected it with a tranquilizer that set it in a sleep almost immediately. He would have called over one of the psychic types to use Hypnosis, but introducing another Pokemon to the deranged Togekiss would probably give it a heart attack - and infect the other Pokemon.

Reggie worked on cleaning out the stall first, then he pulled his medicine box over and started healing what cuts and wounds he could. When the Togekiss began to stir again, he used a milder tranquilizer to keep it asleep. When all was said and done, he closed the door and settled himself into a corner, prepared to whittle the day away watching the Togekiss, making sure it didn't eat itself.

After a while Zero reappeared. The Togekiss had managed to enrage itself into a deep sleep by that time. Reggie put his finger over his mouth anyways, warning Zero to remain quiet.

"Here, you left your Pop Tarts inside," Zero whispered, holding the treats up. "I also made a better breakfast for you." He motioned to the fast food bag in his other hand. "Slaved over a hot ordering counter all day for you."

Reggie kept his laugh down to a chuckle. He moved over a bit so Zero could sit down next to him. The two ate together, silently munching on their food. Every now and then the Togekiss would move slightly or cry out and Reggie would freeze, ready to bolt up at a moment's notice to act. But nothing significant happened, not until Zero had long since packed up their wrappers and left to finish tending to other Pokemon.

It happened very quickly. Togekiss sneezed, and then it was awake and rampaging. Reggie moved for the chunk of wood, but the moment he rapped it against the metal the Togekiss was on it. He didn't have time to react. The wood was ripped from him and practically disintegrated with the Pokemon's attacks. It then began to cry out, spewing blood and screams into the air, and frantically rammed every surface it could find, with whatever body part it could move.

Reggie just watched, halfway to horror. He then decided: it was time to end it.

Zero was on his way across the yard with dinner when he heard the screaming of the Togekiss. He paused, looking at the shed with wary eyes.

A single shot rang out, and all was silent.

He sighed, turned around, and prepared what he was going to say to Cynthia.

Cynthia drove; she insisted on it. Lance obliged her. He kept to his side of the jeep, eyes forward, only passing a glance over to Cynthia every now and again. He worried about what would happen when she got to Reggie's daycare, how she would react. Would she cry? Lash out? Or would she remain stone-faced silent, only to break down when they returned to her home? He had no idea. He barely had a clue as to how he'd comfort her. He went through this himself, yes, but the death of a Pokemon is never an easy thing to get over, especially since Pokemon rarely ever die to begin with. One time isn't enough wisdom to help others.

Zero was waiting outside the house, leaning against the door, when Cynthia pulled her car up. Lance could see him swallow down his fear as he watched Cynthia get out of the car. He didn't blame the kid.

"Uhm, Togekiss is back this way. Follow me, please," Zero said, gesturing with his hands to go around the house. Cynthia only nodded. Lance figured she would be going for the stone-faced look, but he knew inside she felt otherwise. He took her hand in his, gave her a soft peck on the cheek, and walked with her. They passed the usual barn and stable for Reggie's customers and moved out into a large field, dominated by a single shed at the far end. When they approached, Zero stopped walking.

"She's inside, with Reggie," he said, but just as he did so Reggie opened the door. He held a white medicine box in one hand, and a double barrel rifle in the other.

Cynthia froze, fixated on the gun. Lance quickly wrapped his arm around her waist. "Relax," he began, "that's just what he uses to administer tranquilizers."

Reggie nodded, easily flipping the barrel open to expose the tranquilizer dart left in the backup chamber. This put Cynthia at ease, though now she looked beyond Reggie, into the darkness. "She went quietly - happy," Reggie spoke to Cynthia as she passed him. Lance glanced at Reggie as he passed, saying his thank you without uttering a word. The breeder and his assistant left when the two were inside, leaving them alone to their mourning.

When the door clinked shut behind them, it was as if it were the sound of a dam breaking open. Cynthia broke into hysterical crying. She broke with Lance and threw herself on the body of her Togekiss, which seemed to shine despite her passing. Lance knelt down beside Cynthia, placing a hand on her back and desperately trying to think of something to say. He tried to remember back to when he lost his Horsee to the madness a few years ago, so he could remember what was said to him to make him feel better.

He couldn't recall. All he could do was close his eyes and hold her close.

Outside, Zero could her the wailing from across the yard. "That just…that just sucks," he stated, looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Reggie agreed, throwing the rifle over his shoulder. "It's bad enough that a Pokemon had to die, but to watch your Pokemon slip away from you, to slowly lose its sanity and turn on you…That's gotta be brutal."

Zero turned back to face Reggie as the breeder opened the door to go inside the house. He caught a glint of sadness in his eyes, and suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for him. "Are you alright?"

Reggie looked slightly surprised by Zero's question, pausing halfway through the doorway. He then shook his head and forced a small smile. "No. Yeah, I'm ok. Come on, we'll have to prepare a few things for the other Pokemon. They've sensed that one of their kind has passed away and will practically die of broken hearts unless we do something."

Zero followed in after. He kept his eyes fixed on Reggie's back, which was now positioned in front of the cupboard. "Oh? And what would that be?" he asked, setting his coat aside.

"Making poffins!" Zero jumped when Reggie turned around, suddenly wearing a pink apron and wielding a pot and a spatula. "Nothing cheers a Pokemon up like its favorite flavor of poffin! I've cataloged all of our current residents, so I already know exactly what kinds we need to make. Now will you get over here and help me? We'll need to make these extra-special strong, given the circumstances."

Zero stared in horror. _Poffins? _he wanted to screamed. Of all the things he wanted to do in his life, _making poffins_ was the last item on the list. But he thought about his Magnezone, now certainly moping around in its pen, and the afro-headed Numel born just last week. Most importantly he thought about what Reggie had to do last night - how he had to kill the Tog kiss - and that right about now he could probably use something to keep his mind off of everything.

He walked into the kitchen, snatched the spatula from Reggie's hands and said, "Here, I'll show you how to make 'extra-special' poffins. Learned a good recipe from someone in the Reverse World."

Reggie raised an eyebrow. "The Reverse World? How…Why…" He held his arms out in a general "wtf?" stance, begging Zero for answers.

"Trust me: you don't want to know."

After a half hour of cooking or so, when the first batch of poffins were ready to be baked, Reggie donned his coat and went back out to the isolation shed to check on the two champions. He found Lance leaning on the outside of the shed, eyes closed and hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Sir Lance," Reggie said to address the Champion. Lance immediately looked up and tried to smile in greeting.

"Reggie, I was just about to go see you."

"How is she?"

Lance sighed. "Not well, as you can imagine. But I think the…well not the worst of it, but the initial wave has started to pass. We're about finished, I guess."

"And has she decided what she wants to do with the body?"

"Yeah. She wants it buried in the forest behind her house. I was wondering if I could go inside and use your phone to call an undertaker."

"Of course. We're making poffins for the other Pokemon right now, but if you need anything just ask."

"Well…" Lance trailed off, looking away from Reggie. He suddenly became very awkward, like a child who was called on and doesn't know the right answer. "I just…I'm very bad when it comes to comforting people. I was wondering if you could…you know…say a few things for her? It hurts to see her this sad."

Reggie almost wilted. Lance looked like a kicked puppy. He'd never been asked to comfort another trainer, despite how many times he's had to put another Pokemon down for one reason or another, but how could he say anything but yes?

"Of course. When you get inside, you can ask Zero to show you where the phone is."

"Thanks."

So Lance left, and Reggie cautiously opened the door to the shed. Cynthia had herself sitting cross-legged near the front of her Togekiss, its head in her lap. Her crying had slowed to shattered sobs, though the tears ran just as fast.

"Hey, Cynthia, it's me, Reggie," the breeder began. He approached the body and knelt on the other side. What in the world would he say? What _could_ he say? _I'm sorry for your loss but Togekiss is in a better place be happy now_? Somehow he doubted that would do anything but make matters worse.

"Why?"

Reggie started. He looked up from the dead Togekiss and found Cynthia staring at him. She looked pitiful. "Why?" she repeated, anger seeping into her voice. "Why does this happen?"

"Uhm," Reggie began. He swallowed. "Well, no one is really sure. There's a scientist in Kanto who is trying to find out, but all we know is that it's not exactly a disease, but it can be spread like one once it latches on to a Pokemon." Cynthia said nothing in response for a while, lost somewhere between rage and hopelessness, eyes wandering the room.

"But why Togekiss?" she finally asked, snapping her head back up. "I never…What did I do?"

"Nothing!" Reggie exclaimed, suddenly alarmed at where this conversation was going. "Erm, I mean, you did nothing wrong. You did everything right. It's just…it happens. Maybe you ran across a wild Rattata that was in the early stages of the madness and it transferred that way. There is no way to know for sure. But you did nothing wrong. I've seen this Togekiss with you. She loved you, and it was because you did everything right. In fact, I'm surprised she lasted as long as she did." Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows, but otherwise didn't say anything. Reggie took this as a cue to explain.

"I've seen this disease many times before. The truth is, there is no cure for it; you can only ease the transition to…to death. But in all of the cases I've seen, none lasted as long as Togekiss." He reached out and laid a hand on her own. "Cynthia, you did a _great_ job with Togekiss. Most don't even last a week. But Togekiss held out for an entire _month_, because she loved you and she tried so hard to hold on for you. You should be very, _very_ proud, of Togekiss _and _yourself.

"And you should know…" Reggie trailed off as images of a blood-spitting Togekiss filled his mind, intent on destroying all that it saw. "You should know that she went calmly and quietly, with a smile on her face. She was probably thinking of how much fun she had being your Pokemon. She wouldn't want to see you like this."

It was then that Lance returned. Somewhere during Reggie's speech, Cynthia managed to pull herself together. Now she wiped away her tears - for the time being.

"I called the undertaker, Cynthia," Lance said, crouching beside her. "We should get back to your house so we can prepare things. He'll be along in a few minutes to take care of Togekiss, and will meet us at your place in a few hours."

Cynthia sighed, and with Lance's help made it to her feet. She didn't say anything, but Reggie could see the silent _thank you_ in her eyes. He smiled. "Have Zero pack a few poffins up for your Pokemon, and an extra few for yourself," he offered. The Sinnoh Champion nodded. Lance then lead her across the yard, leaving Reggie to prepare moving the body for the undertaker.

A few days later, and Cynthia finally thought it was over. The grave had been made, the funeral was held, and Togekiss was returned to the earth that created her. Her Pokemon were just as depressed as she was, but Zero's poffins helped them get over the worst of it. She wondered how a pastry could do that, but after having one herself she understood.

It was just as she was getting back on her feet that Lance received a call to return to Johto. He put it off for as long as he could, even going so far as to call Blue and ask if he could take over for a while, but eventually Cynthia told him it was time to go.

"I'll be alright. I should get back to my duties, too."

Lance sighed and cupped her chin in his hands. "Are you sure?"

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now go on, get out of here before they send a search squad." He chuckled.

"If you need anything, I'm only a phone call away. You know that right?"

"Yes. Now honestly, go!"

Looking back, remembering how Lance placed a kiss on her lips before he took off on the back of his Dragonite, Cynthia would often wonder what she would have done differently, had she known then that Togekiss wouldn't be the last she'd hear of the madness. Would she have stolen Lance away, right then and there, and sequestered themselves on the most remote island known to mankind? Would she have been so eager to let him go, knowing it would be one of the last few times she'd ever get to touch him, to feel his warm lips pressed against hers, before the madness set in and doomed them all?

But she didn't know. She couldn't have known, no matter how she figured the situation. So she watched as Lance left with a smile on her face, thinking the storm had passed.

At the exact same time, in a little town called New Bark, a young trainer turned ten years old, and consequently launched the world into a crisis that would cost Cynthia the entire life that she knew.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two years ago…_

"Cottonee, use Leech Seed!" Black called. The cotton puff Pokemon responded quickly, much more quickly than any other Pokemon on the field. Before anyone could react the seeds had been planted on the opposing side, much to the distress of the Oshawott. However, the opposing Snivy feared nothing from its natural element.

"Snivy, hit it with a tackle!"

"Wait!" Cheren barked, though he knew Bel's Snivy would not listen. He could only watch as Snivy dashed across the field after Cottonee. The tackle made contact - but the move brought Snivy within range of their second opponent: White's Tepig.

"Now Tepig, use Ember!"

It was a double battle: Black and White - twins born minutes apart - versus Cheren and Bel, neighbors who had befriended one another long ago. What was at stake? Bragging rights, of course. These four young adults were on the verge of starting their Pokemon adventures. Nothing was more important than their first victory. Cheren knew this, and he knew of the twins' plan. The Leech Seed was just bait, a way to make Bel think her Snivy would get a free move due to its immunity to the effects. Tepig was a slower Pokemon incapable of hitting the much faster Snivy - but when Snivy brought itself within Tepig's striking range, that didn't matter.

Tepig moved with enough physical force to first separate Cottonee from Snivy. Snivy must have realized what was going to happen the moment Tepig took in a deep breath, but by the time Bel shouted for a dodging maneuver the flames were already upon it.

Snivy fell back with a cry. The leaf on its tail showed signs of a burn, and it looked considerably weak as it slinked away from Tepig.

_Well Tepig may need to relay on Cottonee to draw Snivy in, but Osha's got something better_, Cheren thought. _Range!_

"Oshawott, use Water Gun!" Cheren ordered. Oshawott had been battling the vines that grew around him. He used the shell on his stomach to cut himself free, the he stepped forward and blasted Tepig with water. The fire type was pushed back until Cottonee stepped in to take the hit. It didn't look pleased at being soaked, but it had spared Tepig from fainting.

"Thanks, Black," White said to her brother, smiling.

"We got your back, sis!" Black replied without turning to look. "You ok, Cottonee?" Cottonee shook itself dry, then roots sprung up from the ground and grabbed hold of it. Oshawott cried out as the roots came after itself again and energy was transferred from one to the other. Cottonee was all too willing to take back some health.

"Ah, Snivy's burned!" Bel whined.

"Serves you right for rushing in - again." Cheren smirked at Bel.

"Oh yeah? Well I don't see you doing much better, Mr. Seeded!"

"C'mon, Bel, we gotta come up with a strategy-"

"No time for talk. Snivy, Vine Whip on Cottonee!" Snivy's vines struck Cottonee with ease, though Cottonee didn't seem to bothered by the contact. "Now hold it, Snivy!"

"Cottonee!" Black gasped, realizing that with Snivy holding it down there was no way for Cottonee to make its move as he had planned. "White-"

"I'm on it. Tepig, Ember on Snivy!" White ordered. Tepig was all too eager to oblige.

"Oshawott, Water Gun!"

Fire and water met across Snivy's vines, much to the discomfort of the grass snake. Though no major damage was done, Snivy let go in panic.

"Cottonee, Absorb from Oshawott!"

Cottonee struck with a vengeance. It was super effective against the water type, and to top it off the seeds were still leeching additional energy. Oshawott fainted after the attack.

"One down," Black began.

"One left!" White finished. She and her brother gave a high-five to each other. Meanwhile, Bel looked struck. She couldn't come up with a plan to take on both Tepig and Cottonee, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight. She figured that after the Water Gun, Tepig would have the least amount of health.

"Snivy, tackle Tepig!"

"Tepig, Ember!"

Snivy's tackle connected before Tepig could ready its Ember. The fire pig fell unconscious. As Bel had suspected, it had little to no energy left. She cheered.

"Not so fast, Bel. Cottonee, Absorb."

Bel watched as Cottonee sucked energy from Snivy. Though Snivy normally resisted such attacks, it found itself reeling back from the force of it all. Snivy wobbled on its feet.

"No! Snivy, hang in there!" Bel called, dancing in her spot with anxiety. It was too late, though. Snivy fell.

Bel ran to her Pokemon while Black and White cheered for themselves. "Once again, victory goes to the twins," Cheren commented. "Good battle, you two."

"Aw, but why did Snivy faint?" Bel held Snivy in her arms, cradling it as one would cradle a baby.

"The burn from Tepig's Ember took its toll. You need to fight carefully when your Pokemon has become inflicted with a status condition, Bel. Running in without thought will be your downfall, as they just demonstrated."

"Well your 'tactics' didn't get you much further. Oshawott only ended up hitting Tepig the entire battle!"

Cheren bristled at Bel. "Oshawott saved your Snivy's-"

"Pathetic."

Everyone froze with the introduction of a new voice. They turned to see it had come from a young man with long, green hair, and the strangest necklace they had ever seen. The four glanced amongst themselves, all confirming that they had no idea who the new guy was. White spoke first.

"Uhm…what?"

"You're pathetic, all of you!" The mystery kid snapped as he flung his arm in a wide, sweeping motion. "It's not enough to submit your slaves into battle, is it? You insist on fighting among yourselves as well!"

"Dude, don't take Cheren and Bel seriously. They bicker like old couples," Black offered, smiling with the hopes of disarming the fellow. "But what are you talking about with that 'slave' bit?"

"Of course you don't understand. You've been taught your entire lives that capturing Pokemon is ok, that forcing them to do battle on your behalf is _okay_. Whatever. I'll show you - and all trainers like you - that slavery is _not okay_." The man stormed off with clenched fists and gritted teeth, clearly upset.

"Wow," Bel commented when the man was out of sight. "Wonder what his problem is?"

"No idea," Cheren answered.

"Whatever. C'mon, let's watch go watch the game and give our Pokemon a nice rest," Black offered, snuggling his Cottonee.


End file.
